One thing about me… I’ma go to sleep.
I can’t stress enough how important adequate rest is, but if you’ve been around me long enough, you know I’ve tried. This new “I can’t grind if I’m asleep” culture we’ve settled into makes me sick. It seems as though everyone is in some ubiquitous productivity contest, and somehow we’ve equated rest with laziness and failure. Which is odd, because without adequate rest… we’re actually less productive. Hm.
In the spirit of preaching about sleep to whoever will listen, here are four interesting health benefits of making your sleep hygiene a priority.
Optimized Immune Function
If you’re skipping your sleep, you’re doing your immune system a disservice. There’s a reason why “get lots of rest” is almost always on the list of remedies when you aren’t feeling well.
There’s ample research demonstrating the relationship between sleep and immune function. Cytokines, proteins that are responsible for regulating inflammation, are produced and released during deep, or NREM sleep (this stage of sleep is also responsible for restoration of our muscles and tissues). When you don’t give your body enough time to reach this deeper stage of sleep, you not only become more vulnerable to infection and disease, but it also takes your body longer to fight pathogens off.
Healthier Skin
They don’t call it beauty rest for nothing. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the post-all-nighter, these-bags-under-my-eyes-are-designer glow (or lack thereof).
At night, our body produces melatonin, which we may know for its role in helping you get to bed. What many may not know, though, is that melatonin is also an antioxidant, which aids in reversing damage from free radicals and UV light. When your body is deprived of sleep, it releases more stress hormones (i.e. cortisol). Elevated cortisol can lead to increased inflammation, which can exacerbate inflammatory skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Your body also uses the deeper phases of sleep to regulate other processes that contribute to healthy skin, including hydration levels and collagen production. Without this, we’re more susceptible to those beautiful, puffy under-eye bags and dull, aging skin.
Mental Clarity and Productivity
It’s no secret that a lack of rest can wreak havoc on our mental function; yet, we still go out of our way to try to somehow replace sleep with productivity. The jig is up — without sleep, you simply are not reaching your productivity potential.
When we don’t give our bodies a chance to recover and restore itself, it can affect our memory, decision making, reflexes, and focus. We aren’t as sharp, and have less energy and poorer judgment. We don’t retain information as well, which is why I’ve never been a fan of all-nighters. Research has shown that in terms of mental and motor function, sleep deprivation is comparable to being intoxicated. Let that sink in.
Improved Mood and Mental Well-Being
Is any research even necessary here? Lol. I’m sure we’re all familiar with that lack-of-sleep crankiness. Personally… I am evil when I’m tired. Don’t talk to me, don’t look at me, don’t even think about me. When I’m exhausted, my fuse is short, honey.
When we aren’t adequately rested, we are more irritable, less motivated, and more prone to stress and anxiety.
Tips For Getting More (and Better) Sleep
Know how much sleep is optimal for you.
While it’s generally agreed that 7-9 hours of sleep is best for the average adult, some people may need less or more to function at their best. I feel good when I get between 7-8 hours of sleep — if I get too little or too much, I feel like I barely slept at all. Thus, I try to tailor my sleep to ensure that I get an adequate amount.
Set a sleep schedule, and try not to deviate from it.
Do you ever wonder why traveling between time zones leaves you feeling so jet-lagged? Constantly sleeping and rising at different times throws our circadian rhythm off, which throws off all those other functions I mentioned above. Bedtimes aren’t just for kids, friends! Try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day, to help your body maintain its groove.
Put down your electronics at least an hour before bed.
How many of y’all scroll through Twitter or Instagram up until the moment you close your eyes for bed? (Guilty.)
This can be the culprit behind your poor sleep! The infamous blue light emitted from our electronic screens can trick our brain into thinking its daytime, which disrupts our sleep-wake cycle.
Use a weighted blanket.
If you suffer from anxiety or are a restless sleeper, this may be worth a try. Weighted blankets provide a veil of evenly distributed pressure over you, producing a feeling similar to being wrapped in a gentle hug. The rationale behind weighted blankets is the deep pressure stimulation, which reduces the body’s sympathetic nervous system activity and induces relaxation. Head over to my Amazon Store to get one for yourself!
Meditate before bed.
My favorite time to meditate by far is right before bed, especially when I’m feeling restless.
Meditation is an amazing tool for reducing anxiety and creating space for mental clarity, which can be useful if these are things that keep you up at night. Even if it isn’t, meditation tends to induce this state of deep peace and relaxation — for me, at least.
My go-to meditation app is Headspace, which has an entire section geared towards sleep. Sometimes I’ll partake in a guided wind-down, or maybe I’ll just drift into sleep against a backdrop of soothing sounds. My absolute favorite, though, are the sleepcasts, which are basically a collection of extremely tranquil bedtime stories.
Either way you look at it, sleep hygiene is an important part of overall health and wellness. There’s no escaping it. I get it — there already aren’t enough hours in the day, and sleep just seems to take away from the little time we do have. But seriously, if you aren’t allowing your body adequate time to restore itself every night, you’re playing yourself. Sleep is self-care, honey. Lol.
Do you do anything in particular to get better sleep? If so, I’d love to hear. Leave a comment below!
The Comments
Valerie
Very good article!